Smashing Pumpkins Reunion Would Offer Closure, Says Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan believes a reunion with the original Smashing Pumpkins lineup would be a “real celebration” and offer them the “closure we never had.” His comments come after he said in January “things looked good” for working again with James Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky. Original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is currently in the band.

“The tabloidian version of ‘Will It Won’t It’ – I’m not in that game,” Corgan told TeamRock. “I’m in the, ‘Hey, I’m all for it.’ I don’t have anything to defend or push aside. It’s none of that. I do hope that, whatever it is, it would ring to the public as authentic and well-intended.”

He revealed in 2016 that he and bassist Wretzky had settled their differences, then earlier this year Chamberlin talked up the possibility of live shows in 2018 – which would mark the first time since 1999 that the original quartet will have appeared together. “Playing shows is fine,” Corgan said in the new interview. “I’m totally cool with the idea that if you come see some iteration of Pumpkins 5.0, it’ll be focused on the 90s era of work. It’ll be a real celebration – we’ll get the closure we never had. And a 22-year-old who has only ever heard about the myth can come and see it in some form. I think we’d still be fine.”

But he admitted that concerts were not at the top of his personal hit list. “I’m really interested in being creative again," he continued. "I think there’s a space for us to fit where nobody is inhabiting, and that’s very attractive to me because our skill set is quite dangerous in this environment, and I really like that.”

Corgan releases Ogilala, a solo album under his full name William Patrick Corgan, on Oct. 13 via BMG, featuring guitarist Iha on "The Processional."